In fact, as she aptly points out again and again – we need more women in the spotlight PERIOD.
I’ve read this book before, yet every time I read it I laugh at a little joke I missed the time before. I constantly catch things I wasn’t paying attention to on the last read through – jokes, snarky comments, and tons of insights into life and love and success… advice that pertains particularly well to women.
In a world dominated by male voices, it’s always a pleasure to read the work of a strong, independent woman – who also happens to be incredibly normal, down-to-earth, and hilarious. Tina Fey’s voice shines in Bossypants – it’s full of embarrassing stories, sassy comments about working in a “man’s world,” and advice on how to navigate life (which is useful for men and women, both).
The thing I like about Fey is that she’s real. She writes like she’s talking to a friend, it’s unpatronizing, unapologetic, and very raw. And yes, it is incredibly funny and fun to read, but there’s also a point to it – there are messages in this book that I think need to be absorbed by plenty of people.
Take for instance her chapter, “I Don’t Care If You Like It,” which centers around a story of Amy Poehler back when she was new to SNL. After Poehler did something incredibly, “unladylike,” as Fey puts it, Jimmy Fallon told Poehler to stop because, “It’s not cute! I don’t like it.” To which Poehler replied, “I don’t f***ing care if you like it,” and then turned back around and continued doing it. The lesson here is straight to the point – sometimes, we have to stop caring if other people like what we’re doing, how we dress, what we say, or, most importantly, who we are. Not everyone is going to like you, but that should never stop you from moving forward in life and achieving the things you’ve set out to. Sometimes our desire to be liked by everyone, even the sadistic jerk down the hall who hates women, gays and The Mindy Project, holds us back.
She talks about being the boss, about being sensitive to others, and about NOT CARING ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU. Yes, that did need to be in all caps. Fey states, without hesitation that it’s okay to be fat or skinny or blond or gay or a female comedian or anything else you want to be. Just do what makes you happy, and everything else will fall into place.
As she writes at the end of her book, “Either way, everything will be fine.”
Amen.
Rating: 10/10
Overall Reaction: “I cannot believe she just said that. I just cannot believe… Wait, there she goes again! I love this woman. No, seriously, I might be in love with her.”
Up Next Week: Every Day by David Levithan
Caitlin